Four students from The University of Nottingham have been awarded full Chinese Ministry of Education scholarships to study at some of China’s best universities.
Jesse Portner, Harriet Lilian Petty, Neil Joseph and Barnaby Ward — who all study Spanish and Contemporary Chinese Studies — are to study at top Chinese universities for six months next year.
Harriet and Neil have been awarded a one-year scholarship, while Jesse and Barnaby will study in China for six months. The scholarships are highly competitive as non-Chinese national students from anywhere in the world are eligible to apply.
Learning Mandarin
Jesse will be studying at Fudan University in Shanghai from February 2014 after previously studying at The University of Nottingham Ningbo Campus. He said: “Having spent a semester in Ningbo last year, which was based around a mainly English crowd, I’m most looking forward to mixing with a more Chinese based crowd at Fudan University. I’m also excited about getting a deeper understanding of the Chinese people and culture.
“I wanted to spend some time in China after graduating because I wanted to improve my Mandarin skills to achieve a basic degree of fluency.”
Barnaby, who will be studying at the Beijing Communications University for six months from next February, hopes the time spent in China will help to improve his language skills. He said: “I am looking forward to being more immersed in Chinese language and intensive teaching, as well as the culture.”
China’s colourful culture
Dingping Guo, Deputy Director of the University’s Confucius Institute, believes that the chance to study and live in China’s ‘colourful culture’ will be highly beneficial.
He said: “The scholarships will help them to improve their language skills by communicating with more native speakers and immersing themselves in Chinese social and cultural environment. It will also widen their perspectives and deepen their understanding of contemporary China by discussing with Chinese people from all different background. Thirdly, they will make more Chinese friends and establish more connections which will help in their future academic or business career.
“Studying in foreign countries can change a lot in their lives for many young students. They may find more interests in people and land, cultures and institutions. China is a great country with a long civilisation, rich legacy and colourful cultures. All these wonders are waiting for them to cultivate, discover and exploit.”
The scholarships cover registration and tuitions fees, money for basic textbooks, accommodation on campus, insurance cover and a monthly living allowance.
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham has 42,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It was ‘one of the first to embrace a truly international approach to higher education’, according to the Sunday Times University Guide 2013. It is also one of the most popular universities among graduate employers, one of the world’s greenest universities, and winner of the Times Higher Education Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Development’. It is ranked in the UK’s Top 10 and the World’s Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong and the QS World Rankings.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University aims to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health.
The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education for its research into global food security.